Material-handling device



Filed Jan. 2. 1940 2 sheets-sheet 1 m Illl y L ,l lNVENTOR Y y ATTORNEY June 24, 1941. M C, GORDON 2,246,72`8 VMATER'IAL.-MNDLING DEVICE Filed Jan. 2, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O O O g? O O O Patented June 24, 1941 l TED .STAT-ES PATENT 10 Fi? ICE MATERIAL-HANDLING DEVICE Melvin llolinyGordon, Lincoln, Calif. Applicatipnanuary 2, 1940., `Salarial No. 311,966

` 4 ennuis. k(o1. `29e- 24) My invention relates to means for handling material generally in bulk, and, while itis capable of wide adaptation, is concerned especially with means for handling produce such as peaches and for transporting it between a growing area land a .cannery where processing occurs.

At the present time it is generally `the custom -for peaches, upon being picked, to be `deposited in lug `boxes in the orchard, `then :to .be loaded, `while contained in the lug boxes, onto trucks, and to be hauled a number of miles to Aa Cannery whereat the lug boxes are unloaded and stacked. .Subsequently the lug boxes are emptied and hauled back to the orchard.` According to :this system, not only is it necessary :to have available a large number of `lug boxes and vto maintain them in repair despite frequent handling, but it is also necessary to transport by truck a large weight which is represented by the 'lug boxes themselves. While figures va-ry, depending upon conditions, in every instance it isa fact that the when the produce, such as peaches, in the lug boxes is received at the-Cannery, thelug boxes must be laboriously stored pending unloading, then perhaps much later on emptied and hauled back to the orchard for re-use..

It is an object, of my invention, therefore, to improve upon the above-described material- 'handling arrangement. l

Another object of my invention is to provide a `material-handling device which substantially reduces the use of lug boxes and materially reduces .the unprotable load carried by transport trucks.

Another object of my invention is to provide a material-handling device for facilitating the unloading of the produce at the packing-house `or Cannery by reducing the time involved and lthe amount of handling requisite.

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved manner of transporting produce, such as peaches, so as to reduce mechanical damage to the fruit.

The foregoing and other objects are attained in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation., Darts being in vertical cross-section, of the material.- handling device of my invention in discharging position;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal cross-section on a vertical plane of the body portion of the materialo `handling deviceof my invention, in charging or loading position; and l Fig. 3 is a `cross-section the plane of which is `indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

While the material-handling device of my inyention is adaptable to the transportation and handling of various different products, it has lbeen successfully utilized over a protracted period of time in the handling of peaches for canning, `and will be `described in that connection as a representative example.

`The 'material-handling device of my invention .includes a transport mechanism, such as a truck `ii of any convenient or standard construction, `which is provided with an operators station 1 and with a bed 8 for supporting material to be transported. The bed 8 is normally parallel `with the ground and horizontal when the truck is in its usual transporting position, and upon zsuch a foundation I Aprovide a body, generally designated 9, which either may utilize the bed 8 as a bottom if that is satisfactory, or can itself be provided with a bottom i I conveniently fabri- -catedof sheet material and extending over substantially the entire area of the bed 8.

Included in the body 9 and upstanding from the bottom Il, for example, is a forward wall I3 .extending transversely of the vehicle and preferably disposed just behind the drivers station l. This `wall is preferably'a solid structure of sheet material and joins a pair of longitudinally extending sides M and l-B also upstanding from the bottom Il, for exam-ple, in generally vertical planes, and preferably being provided with a plurality of `apertures or perforations Il to permit free circulation of air throughout the lading within-the body 9 but being of sufficiently small `size to preclude the escape of such lading therethrough.

In accordance with my invention, I preferably divide the interior space enclosed by the body 9 into a plurality of separate compartments in order that the amount of lading in each compartment will be relatively small, so that shifting of the contained produce during transporation will be materially reduced, in order to preclude deleterious mechanical effect upon or damage to the fruit. For that reason, the length of the body 9 is preferably bisected by a longitudinally extending central w-all I8, extending from vthe bottom ll upwardly and .also extending for the entire length `of the body, thus in eiect prioviding two isolated sides thereof.

At appropriate intervals the body is likewise divided into compartments by transverse partltions 2| Each of the partitions is preferably disposed in its normal position in a vertical plane, but is provided with a plurality of leaves 22, 23 and 24, for example, each of which is connected by hinges 26 at its upper edge to a cross-member 2l and is adapted to be disposed normally against a bottom stop 28, so that when the body 9 is in normal horizontal position the leaves 24 will be vertically dependent and hang in an upright position against all ordinary forces. Yet, if the body 9 is rearwardly inclined, the force of gravity upon the leaves 22, 23 and 24 will cause them to swing into positions so as to ail'ord communication or access between adjacent comp-artments.

Also dividing the compartments in horizontal planes are a plurality of hinged panels 3| and 32, each of which is provided with a hinged connection 33 to the adjacent side wall, so as to permit the panel to swing upwardly about a generally horizontal axis. While a pair of panels is shown at each of the levels in each of the compartments, a single panel forming a oor for each compartment can be utilized if desired. In their lower or horizontal position, the panels 3| and 32 rest upon central brackets 34 on crossstraps 2'1 to which the hinges 26 are fastened and form oors parallel to and immediately above the bed 8 or bottom Not all of the partitions 22, 23 and 24 are free swinging, but rather those at the rear end of the vehicle are provided with a restraining device 4| which includes a friction track 42 which is stationary and an adjusting wing nut 43, so that the rearmost partitions can be retained in lowermost, closed position or in uppermost, open position.

In the use of the device as so far described, the truck 6 is driven to a convenient point in the orchard land all of the panels 3| and 32 above the compartments are raised upwardly and at least the rearmost partition 23 is opened into the position shown in Fig. 2. Through the opening so provided there is disposed a downwardly inclined, incoming conveyor 44 and an upwardly inclined, outgoing conveyor 46. Lug boxes of peaches are placed on the conveyor 44 and roll forward by gravity into the selected compartment, wherein an operator is disposed. As the lug boxes arrive at the end of the conveyor 44 they are removed therefrom by the operator, and their contents are dumped into the compartment. The empty lug boxes are placed by the operator on the return conveyor 46, so that they travel by gravity out of the body back to a point for reuse.

During all of this time the adjacent friction device 4| preferably holds the lower rearmost partition 24 in closed position, so that when the lower portion of the compartment is full of produce, the conveyors 44 and 46 can be moved upwardly one unit and the panels 3| and 32 closed downwardly over the lower portion of this compartment and can themselves be loaded with produce as before described. The thin layers of produce so deposited are not injured because the weight on each is not great. In this way each compartment can be filled from the bottom toward the top until it is loaded with produce, or, as an alternative, all of the panels 23 can be swung outwardly initially and the conveyors 44 and 46 can be moved as far forwardly as possible on the body 6 and the foremost compartment can be filled prior to the iilling of the rearmost ones, or any suitable order can be followed just so long as, at the conclusion of the operation, the entire series of compartments in the body is filled with fruit. At that time the conveyors 44 and 46 are withdrawn, the holding devices 4| are actuated so that no produce can escape during transport, and the truck travels to the Cannery or receiving station.

At that point there is provided a receiving incline 5| which is disposed at a considerable slant to the horizontal and preferably is adjacent a pond or pool of water 52 confined within suitable bounding walls 53 and 54 the latter of which operates as a positioning stop for the truck 6. Extending Afrom beneath the water 52 is a conveyor 56 running upwardly out of the water to a distributing conveyor 51 which itself discharges into receiving bins 58 for storing the fruit. These bins in turn discharge onto operating belts 59, for example, adjacent the fruit-pitting machines 6|, whereat the fruit is processed.

In the operation of this material-handling device, therefore, the truck 6, when loaded, backs down the incline 5| until it is stopped by the abutment 54. At that time one or more of the holding devices 4| is released and, by gravity and by pressure of the fruit within the various compartments, one or more layers of each compartment are discharged into the water 52, the swinging by gravity of the partitions 22, 23 and 24 in turn affording communication between the various compartments. Since the fruit drops into water, its fall is broken and no damage results. As shown in Fig. l, the upper layer is being discharged, and subsequently the lower layers will in turn be discharged. At the conclusion of this operation, the empty truck returns to the orchard to repeat the operation.

I claim:

1. A material-handling device comprising a. body adapted to be inclined, said body including a bottom, means forming a plurality of oors above and parallel to said bottom, a plurality of partitions extending transversely of the direction of inclination and disposed between said iioors for separating said body into a plurality of compartments, and means effective when said body is inclined for placing some of said compartments in communication.

2. A material-handling device comprising a body including a bottom, hinged panels forming a plurality of oors above and parallel to said bottom, a plurality of partitions disposed between said floors for separating said body into a plurality of compartments, and means for establishing communication between some of said compartments.

3. A material-handling device comprising a body including a bottom, vertically extending partitions dividing the space above said bottom, hinged panels disposed between said partitions, and means for supporting said panels in positions to form a plurality of floors above and parallel to said bottom.

4. A m-aterial-handling device comprising a body including a bottom, perforated sides upstanding from said bottom, a plurality of hinged partitions extending transversely between said sidesA for dividing the space above said bottom, and hinged panels adapted to occupy positions to form a plurality of oors above and parallel tio said bottom and between said sides and partiions.

MELVIN COLIN GORDON. 

